High Fives and Hugs: How showing some love can foster a positive and productive workplace

Love. Can be of different kinds. The kind of love you feel for your pet (compassionate love), is different than the one you feel for your partner (passionate love). And we as humans aren’t always afraid to express our love for our loved ones.

However, when it comes to your workplace, it’s a whole different ball game.

This word may be termed NSFW (Not Safe For Work). Because it’s seldom heard in the typical humdrum of office life. And the idea of showing love to your employees can be daunting.

Because after all, it’s tempting to put on a tough façade, focusing solely on the bottom line -performance and results.

However, warmth, connection, affection, and appreciation for your employees can have surprising benefits.

So, come and join me on this journey as I try to discover the hidden benefits of loving and appreciating your team!

The Power of Love and Appreciation

"People may forget what you said or did, but they will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

A 2018 report published in the National Library of Medicine, found that showing affection toward employees resulted in lower levels of stress, higher work commitment, and improved social awareness.

In a post-Covid-age, the need for emotional well-being is at an all-time high. And one-third of our lives we spend at work.

Thus, nurturing a workplace culture of appreciation and love can have a profound impact on the mental well-being of your employees.

Imagine your workplace has two employees – Tom and Emily. They both share a bond of caring, safeguarding each other's feelings, and showing tenderness even in tough times. Now imagine a workplace that fosters and encourages such relationships, with managers actively nurturing close connections between employees.

Wouldn’t that bring a humane element to a workplace? And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

I dug deeper and found surprising benefits to workplace appreciation and love.

But before that, let’s look at some of the leading organizations that are already paving the way in fostering cultures of companionate love.

●        Whole Foods Market's management principles start with the power of "Love."

●        PepsiCo puts "caring" first on its list of guiding principles

●        Zappos also explicitly focuses on caring as part of its values

Need more convincing? So, without further ado, let’s unlock the hidden rewards of workplace appreciation and love.

Benefits of workplace appreciation and love

Unlock the power of love in the workplace!

Kindness, appreciation, and caring are just some of the many facets of this powerful force. Moreover, employee appreciation, love, and recognition are two sides of the same coin. Or like peanut butter and jelly.

So, let’s discover together the endless benefits it can bring to your team and company.

1. Burnout no more, with love at the core

A report from Gallup states that love is the magic elixir for employee burnout. According to them, companies must target three crucial areas to prevent workplace burnout, with the first being embedding well-being into their culture.

Also, according to their Five Elements of Wellbeing, one of the keys to achieving this is through fostering social connections and love within the workplace. Thus, from fostering connections within the workplace to supporting employees' relationships outside of it, businesses should do all they can to promote healthy interactions. After all, a happy employee is a productive one, and it all starts with cultivating a positive culture

2. Love’s vibe creates a thriving tribe

A report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that Negativity is a costly drain on companies, bleeding out $3 billion a year in the United States alone. Yes, that’s right, a whopping $3 billion!

A positive work environment pays dividends in both your company's cash and your employees' dash.

Also, according to OfficeVibe “feeling valued and appreciated at work is directly tied to employee happiness and engagement.”

Spread positivity and lift morale with a simple gesture - taking a few minutes to recognize someone's great work can create a ripple effect of positivity throughout the workplace. When you feel good, you want to make sure others do too!

3. Love’s the force that makes us perform

Author of six Number One New York Time’s Best-Selling books, Brené Brown states that our innate desire for love and belonging fuels our motivation and drive. Thus, there’s no reason for us to be stingy with love, even in the workplace.

Treating employees with compassion and humanity holds great value. It's no secret that when we treat people with love, they thrive, but when we show them a lack of care, they struggle to survive.

Another Harvard Business Review article from 2014 backed Brené.

The article stated that “People who worked in a culture where they felt free to express affection, tenderness, caring, and compassion for one another were more satisfied with their jobs, committed to the organization, and accountable for their performance.”

The article concluded with 3 tips for leaders:

●        Nurture the emotional culture at work, with love, joy, or pride.

●        Set the tone by showing positive emotions every day, and acting as a cultural role model.

●        Make policies and practices that encourage care, compassion, and tenderness among colleagues.

              4. With love in the air, turnover's rare!

The cost of employee turnover to companies is $15,000 per employee! However, another Forbes report found companies that created a culture of love, with appreciation and praise a part of induction, were shown to have 31 percent lower voluntary turnover rates!

It’s impressive how showing a little bit of love can make such a huge difference.

When employees feel appreciated, they'll stick around no matter what, be it good times or bad times. It makes them feel content about their work, which in turn also boosts their engagement and productivity.

           5. Love is the force that drives our mission's course

Our mission is driven by the profound and transformative power of love. And author Simon Sinek had a first-hand experience of it. In one of his podcasts, he talked about interviewing a US Marine, asking him, what makes the Marines so good.

His answer?

"Love! Love for country, corps, and fellow Marines." Love gives purpose, while individualism fades; a truth of the Corps that never degrades.

In another article published in Forbes, author Colleen Riley states that “loves is the accelerator to meaning and purpose”.

According to her, love in the workplace means connecting authentically and empathetically with others who share common professional goals, such as the company's mission and vision.

While corporate goals are standard in business, embracing authenticity and empathy adds a fresh and powerful dimension to the equation.

         6. Love's power flows both ways, in giving and receiving it stays

While the other points reinforce the receiving power of love, one important thing to note here is-Love flows in both directions. And it's equally powerful in its ability to give.

A 2021 Harvard study found that showing love and kindness to others can actually bring us more joy than receiving them. This is because we humans are social animals, and thrive on social connections.

Another study published in the National Library of Medicine stated that showing feelings of compassion can have a rewarding effect on the giver too. It makes them happier and increases their social connection.

Thus, companies that encourage kindness create a domino effect of positivity. When one act of kindness is shown, it inspires others to pay it forward, creating a culture of generosity that spreads like wildfire.

Final thoughts:

We spend a significant portion of our lives at work. Thus, let us strive to create an environment where love and kindness are not just occasional acts, but a way of life.

Remember, showing love in the workplace isn't just good for business, it's good for the soul too. So let's make a conscious effort to spread love, appreciation, and positivity in our workplaces, and watch as it transforms not just our organizations, but our own lives as well.